Neil Valenzuela

8.9

Light ruby color. Aromas of Turkish delight, rose petals and a hint of black currant. Light, strawberry flavors, floral and pepper finish. — 6 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Pardon the label. A humidity malfunction in one of my wine fridges. Luscious and sweet on the front palate yet finishes dry with diminishing acid and an attractive acidic bitterness on the back palate. Quince, nectarine, peach and apricot with that moreish bitterness. A beautifully made new world Pinot Gris which is dangerously moreish. I will now open an Alsatian Pinot Gris to compare. I’m tipping the Dry River to prevail. — 4 years ago

Richard Benitez

8.9

Big and juicy, slight metallic nose. Dry yet balanced juice, not sweet but very balanced. — 5 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Quintessential (pardon the pun) fish and chips with mushy peas, UK style. Drinking a Chardonnay with this, and just popped the Quintessa, which is excellent. Lots of barrel toast on the nose and palate. Very suave presentation with prominent tannins. Pristine ripe cherry fruit profile. Depth and layers are here to stay. — 5 years ago

with Anne-marie

John Fiehrer

9.4

Absolute stunnnnnnner! Crisp and fresh with pear and melon (pardon the pun), nice acid, so good! — 7 years ago

Tracy Byrnes

9.2

Gorgeous, bright rose from Jura. Perfect with Pardon peppers on a hot summer evening. — 8 years ago

Ryan Keith

9.5

This wine was spectacular. Very dense and textural with lots of black fruits. Could age for a few more years. Wish I had more. Pardon the label, it survived the Napa Earthquake of 2014
— 8 years ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.3

Medium ruby in color; black cherries, hibiscus, and violets on the nose; high acidity; fine grained, medium plus tannins; tastes like cherries, pomegranates, blackberries, and crushed gravel with a long finish. I love it, and Nellie says it's ok. Do not decant this wine. It lost some of its aromas after an hour. — a year ago

with Nellie

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Such a beautiful wine on its own and with the Cover Ribs from Allen Brothers. Beautiful fruit and earth. Merlot from any other place barks up St. Emilion ass. Pardon my French. Crazy outstanding for the $25-$30 I paid upon release. @ChateauIsbel — 3 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2018 vintage. Cedar, plum, allspice, spearmint, graham cracker and burnt rubber (fleetingly) in the immediate nose that slants positively ancient without being musty. Medium-medium heavy body. Spicy cherry-plum combo on the rolling finish that thins out slightly body wise but throws in a slight, milk-chocolate texture gift. Intriguing for sure. Not as rustic and playful as the 2017 effort…this one is much more mysterious, less straightforward and supremely desirable/delicious. Drinking beautifully now and expecting no less for the next 15-20 years. Pardon the water spots...in too big a rush to crack this. — 4 years ago

Anil Saxena

9.1

Amazing red blend. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It’s bold,earthy, and super supple. Love this wine. Thanks FirstLeaf!!! — 6 years ago

Kristof Vande Velde

9.0

Nice buttery Chardonnay. A bit of honey and citrus in the mouth. Had expected a bit more for a bottle of €18 though. — 7 years ago

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

10

Holy cow!!!!! My new favorite! Damn!!!!! Pardon my expression. Boich Family Cellar wines presents Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges lll nappa valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016! Www.boichfamilycellar.com The bouquet is blackberry pie fresh out of the oven. The initial palate is so smooth with blackberry and dark cherry. Then comes the chocolate and butter ! Minimal spice. Minimal oak. Long dry finish with an absolute desire for the next sip!!!!!! Lingering pucker on the cheeks and lips in the corners. I have never had a wine this rewarding after the first sip... — 7 years ago

Matt Trader

8.9

Maybe I am just in the mood for Beaujolais Cru? This would be a fun wine to blind taste, because it really does have a lot to offer at sub $15. Medium tannin structure, concentrated flavors of blackberry cordial, bing cherries, red apples, flint smoke, green and black pepper corns, and a touch of fresh rosemary. Ample acidity, but some balance to it, with a slight evidence of Oak aging. Maybe it is due to this being a 2015, which has been a great vintage for Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone. — 8 years ago

Ellen Clifford

8.9

Delicious, balancing 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot against 22 months in French oak, 45% new; it is straight-up YUMMY (pardon my French). Lively cassis, blue plum and violet play with silky tannins and lightly peppered vanilla bean. It was well-composed but surprisingly refreshing; I’d believe it was twice its 25-dollar price tag—utterly crave-worthy. — 2 years ago

vickie

9.1

Purchased Total Wine — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Pardon the water damaged label. Aromas of pepper, spice and fresh garden herbs. Almost like the garrigue aromas you get from a Southern Rhone red. Medium weight palate but M+ Intensity. Even though Hawkes Bay is home to probably New Zealand’s best Cabernets like Te Mata Coleraine it also produces excellent cool climate Syrah like this one. Not so special with Pinot Noir here which is grown by a few optimistic producers. Had another bottle on 7th February 2024 with similar notes. I love the pepper but it does need more mid palate fruit. I have a couple of bottles left. I can’t see the need for extended cellaring and will probably drink these in the next 12 to 18 months. Had another bottle on 24th November 2024 with similar tasting notes. Enjoy the pepper. — 4 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.0

I don’t know what it is but all #chile #syrah and (pardon the generalizations) all Chilean wine have this tell-tale aroma that is somewhat eucalyptus and somewhat smoked meat in all the wines. #movi 2015 still youthful. Has 5-7 more years to it. — 5 years ago

Jason Crouse

9.0

bright, acidic, sorta fruity, not very sweet, I luv (drank at Pardon My French) — 7 years ago

Aaron Rankin

9.5

Pardon me while I continue my summer CdP binge. It’s like Christmas in ... August. I’m having this a night after an ‘07 Beaucastel, and for me, this takes the cake. Great funk in the nose, high toned complexity especially on the front to mid-palette, incredibly long finish. For me, this is perfect CdP. — 8 years ago